West Ham are targeting a move for Danny Ings as Liverpool prepare to sanction his loan departure in the January window, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that new manager David Moyes wants to add firepower to his team and is a big admirer of Ings, 25, after trying to sign him when he was at Real Sociedad.
The Sun report that Liverpool will allow the striker to be loaned out but are keen for him to have regular game time as he recovers his best form following two knee operations.
It is said that Newcastle United and Bournemouth are also strongly pursuing Ings.
The one-time England international has made just 12 appearances for Liverpool since his £8million arrival from Burnley in the summer of 2015.
Good move for West Ham?
Yes, definitely. Ings has an impressive scoring record and was one of the most in-demand strikers in the country before quitting Burnley, where he scored 43 times in 130 matches. His Liverpool career has not got going due to injury and horrible luck but he is still young enough and, crucially, good enough to make a big impact in the Premier League. Ings showed seven days ago when scoring four goals in Liverpool Under-23s’ demolition of Bristol City that he has not lost his scoring touch. Joining West Ham in January would enable him to play regularly and rediscover his mojo. He would provide strong competition to current centre-forward options Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Diafro Sakho. It is a move that could suit both parties to a tee.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Ings is contracted to Liverpool until 2020 and is set to be allowed to leave on loan in January in order to build up his fitness and play first-team football. He is behind Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke in the striker pecking order at Anfield but West Ham would need to fight off considerable competition to persuade Ings, from Premier League and Championship clubs, as well as negotiating a deal that suits Liverpool. The Daily Star report that Ings’ current deal is worth £60,000-a-week, and the Londoners would need to pay a significant portion of his wages to make it happen.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10